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Getting children to appreciate Nature is one of the most difficult tasks a birder can undertake.  Here is some help.
 

 

 l  High quality video clips of most North American birds.

   l  Personalized with your child's name and place/date where bird was seen.

   l  Only the birds you want to see.  You pick them; we send them.

   l  On DVD for TV or computer viewing.

   l  Close-ups of every bird, even small ones, assures that your child gets the
        good look possibly missed in the field.

   l  A (sometimes little-known) fact about the name, history or habits of each
        bird is included.

   l  Helps children remember the birds they see.

   l  Helps you in your efforts to really get your kids or grandkids interested in
        birding.

 

 

                                      Let's face it. It's really hard to get your kids interested in the Outdoors when
they'd rather play games on a computer or hand-held game box.  
                                                      So what is it that they find there that's so all-consuming? Pretty simple.  It's success.
               Sure, the sophisticated graphics are part of it.  What child can resist all the colors, explosions, and surprises at every turn?
                      But what mesmerizes them is the game itself.  They are in it.  If they have skill, they can win.  And they do.  
                                  And go to the next level.   And feel good about themselves.  The games are all about them.
   Sounds pretty normal, doesn't it. Would you want to give that up, go outside in the heat or cold, with the bugs just because mom and dad do it?
                                                                                    Kids may not realize that...       

                 

                     Birding is also a game.    But for most children, just seeing birds isn't enough.
                
                 You try to see 25 warblers, or 100 species, or beat your buddy's Big Day.  For children, however, it's a hit-or-miss game.
                    Brown sparrows, a vireo up in a tree when their binoculars are too heavy, or some shorebird way out there in a scope
                                         just aren't very exciting for them.  The following was overheard in Key West in 2007:
                                                     "We just saw a Loggerhead Kingbird.  None of your friends have."
                                         "This is the first one ever in the whole history of the United States, and you saw it". 
                               Sounds exciting?  Maybe to you, but for your kids it's, "Mom, Where did you put my Nintendo?"
 

            Time for a new approach.

  

There is, however, something that a lot of kids want to do
 as much as play video games, and that's collect stuff.
  
       When you look at it, birding is collecting stuff.  Collecting names in a list. Collecting new experiences. In a way, actually collecting animals.
                       Once you see a bird for the first time, that bird "becomes yours". Think 'MY life Golden-winged Warbler'.
  The adult mind is perfectly happy working on that abstract level.  A child likes something more tangible.  That is why we have created MY BIRDS.
          Simply put, MY BIRDS lets your child hold on to the bird he sees, on video.  Your child picks a few birds he has seen on a birdwalk.
              You send us the names of the birds you want and we send you a DVD with high quality video of each one. He can pick one,
       or a few or a dozen.  One for each lifer.  Just like collecting Pokemon cards, but each of these birds is associated with a real experience.     
      
                    But it doesn't end there.   For a child the pride of accomplishment and recognition 
  is a big deal.
            
                   If she saw a new bird, and identified it, and had a good time, she wants to remember and let everyone else know, too.
                 So on every view of every bird her name will appear prominently, along with the place and date where the bird was seen.
                              The video clip then becomes her special memento of a birding adventure. It cements the experience.
  We can't be with you to film the individual bird he has seen, but our shot will give him the drop-dead gorgeous look he may have missed in the field.
                              He can see "his" bird with his name as many times as he wants, and show it off to his friends and family.
                                        And when a child has collected a few birds, he may want to go out and see some more. 
 

                         Not your father's video.

  

 This is not one of those video field guides that drone on and on
  about bird after bird until you want to push the Fast Forward.
 

  The clips have no talking, just ambient sounds. How long are they?  Little attention spans are short, so forty-five seconds to two minutes is typical.
         We learned from our first childrens' DVD, "A LITTLE BIRD TOLD ME", that kids want to learn something about the birds they see.
       Therefore a "Cool Fact" is included for each bird species. When possible, we try to address kids at their favorite level.  Here's an example:

                  "Cormorants poop a lot. At some cormorant colonies in South America the poop is mined for fertilizer, called "guano".
                                  They can shoot it out several feet, too. If you see a cormorant in a tree, don't stand under it."

                                                                               Or we can just be informative:

            "An Anhinga has one of the sharpest pointed beaks of any bird. It uses it to stab fish, not to grab them as a heron usually does.
                              You may see an Anhinga swimming with just its head and neck above the water, looking like a snake.
                                                                  That is why they are sometimes called 'snakebirds'."

                                                                            See one of our personalized videos.

                                                         The price for MY BIRDS is $3.00 per bird, or eight for $20.00.
                               We have footage of hundreds of species, but not all. Most things your family will have seen is available.
                                                       Don't bother to ask for pelagics at this time, or super rarities. 
                                  To order, send an e-mail to sv4birds@yahoo.com and include MY BIRDS in the subject. 
        Provide a list of birds you want, and if you can, some alternates, as we cannot guarantee to have footage of all your first choices.
       Add your child's name, where your birdwalk was, and the date. (There will be an extra charge for multiple names, places or dates).
              If you prefer to order by phone, call (305) 865-9861.  Yes, it's a doctor's office.  You don't have the wrong number.
     Shipping charges (first class mail, unless directed otherwise) will be added.  We accept PayPal online or major credit cards by phone. 
                                                              Allow ten business days to produce and send your DVD.